Ecodesign of an urban native woodland in Hong Kong

The innovative Zero Carbon Building (the ZCB) site development in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, included a pioneering urban native woodland (UNW). As part of the development, the principles and objectives of establishing an UNW ecosystem, firmly based on ecological concepts were explained. At an urban site! the UNW would emulate the tropical native woodland, with reference to pertinent attributes, including high species diversity, high vegetation cover with multiple vertical strata and complex interlocking crowns. In addition to biomass structure and morphology, the design was intended to create the constituent ecosystem processes such as energy flux, nutrient cycling, food web formation, and constitute a closely-knit and interdependent ecological community Native plants were sown with a prepared native soil mix, with composition and properties that would trigger development into mature woodland soil. Environmental benefits, such as biodiversity enhancement, cooling, air cleaning, noise abatement and groundwater recharge, were designed to improve with progressive woodland ecosystem succession. The criteria of selecting 44 native tree species, supplemented by native shrubs, were elaborated The difficulties In acquiring native trees from nurseries in the region, the measures to overcome the hurdle, and suggestions to improve the supply for future projects, were discussed. The project provided the scientific basis and experience to develop similar projects in Hong Kong, the region and other tropical cities. Copyright © 2014 Zero Carbon Building Limited.